the Sky is Crying
by Redd-Cliff-Rhapsody
Summary: Dib's out on a rainy day, and he's depressed. What's wrong? R&R if you're nice! Update: [Imitating a movie] I LIIIIVE! Here's another chapter, you all probably want to hurt me for not updating in so long...
1. And so it begins

Title: the Sky is Crying

Author: Mooncatz AKA redd-cliff-rhapsody

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.  Not a thing.   Not even the pocket lint in my pocket.  Technically, because I get other people to get stuff for me, it belongs to my relatives. 

Hello peoples!  I've migrated from the PotC section over to IZ!! Isn't it wonderful?  ^_^

Err, it was mostly because I'm a huge ZaDR fan… eheh.  Heh.  *ahem* moving on.   I had writer's block while working on a longer IZ fanfic, a ZaDR, that I'm planning to post up here some other time, and came up with this!  It's a bit angsty, a bit sad, a bit picking on Dib… … what?   It's fun to pick on Dib.  And now, just warning, because if I write anything else on this, it will most definitely have ZaDR in it.  

In case you're wondering why I write ZaDR when there's a rumor that the great Jhonen Va-something (I always forget his last name! Argh! *gets all embarrassed-like and smacks head on the wall*) doesn't like the pairing HIMself, well… I like bugging the creators of fandoms I like! It makes me feel all powerful and stuff.  … moving on to the fic. 

Yes, I have had sugar today, how did you know…?  ^_^d

---

 The Sky was crying.   

For him or his family, he couldn't tell.  But he knew one thing was for sure, there was only one he thought was tear-worthy out of the two.   His Family. 

The small boy walked down the slick sidewalk.   His scythe-like hair was dripping steadily, not like anyone would notice until he went inside, and his glasses were so blurry, it was like he wasn't even wearing them.  

Dib continued on his way down the street, squinting slightly and pulling his soggy black trench coat closer to himself as the rain continued pounding.  A couple of people hiding under an umbrella looked at the boy like he was crazy, but he was used to that kind of look.  It didn't bother him anymore; why should it?  He had more important things to think about. There were too many important people to mourn.

There were too many to mourn.  

It made Dib think; what point was there to living if it was all just going to end one day?  Just cut short?   What if there was no afterlife, and just darkness?  He didn't want to die.   Even if nobody believed in him, even if nobody cared, he loved living.   He never wanted it to stop.  

But he knew it would.  Dib sighed and stopped walking.   He lifted his face, stared up at the sky.   Watched the rain pour down.  Felt it hit his cold skin.   Yes, he could feel the cold, but it didn't bother him much.  He had a different ache inside, one that overpowered the cold.  

Dib sat down on the curb.   He watched as a car went by, watched as the red taillights stained the road red.   It made the road look like it had two waterfalls of lava drifting over it.   Or, it could have been two trails of blood.  

The thought made Dib shudder.  Blood on the road.   He knew what that looked like.  He _knew_, and he wished he didn't.   He wished desperately that Gaz hadn't wanted to go to the lab to see Professor Membrane.   He wished that his father didn't decide that it was his duty to drive them home.  And he wished most of all, that he could have been in the front seat along with Gaz and his father.  

Then he wouldn't have to feel this way at all.

Nobody could tell, not in the rain, that Dib had two trails of tears running down his face.   It blended in perfectly with the rain.  Tears of frustration, tears of pain, of annoyance.  In that moment, Dib wished he was stuck in that landscape forever.  The rain pouring, slicking the road as cars drove by, a dark gray world that nobody liked.  He didn't want the sun to shine anymore. 

Because, in Dib's opinion, there was no reason for the sun to shine.   It never needed to shine again.  He'd live forever in a gray world and love it.   Love it, and hate it. 

That sounded nice to him.   A life of love mingling with hate.  Perfect. 

Somehow, Dib fell asleep as he sat on the curb, curled into a sitting fetal position, with no protection from the world apart from his wet trench coat. 

---


	2. Not dying today

Okay people, I know this might not be the best fic chapter ever, but I tried!  Also, it was done yesterday, but my editor-type-person ended up dropping out, and I had to find a new one. -_-0 sorry about that.

Another thing, eheh-heh, I've kind of hit a mini writer's block, so if anyone could tell me where they'd like this fic to go to from here…?  

Disclaimer:  if I owned it, well, I would have more than pocket lint in my pocket, I believe… (Translation: I DON'T OWN _ANYTHING!_)__

---

Foggily, Dib opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, something he wasn't accustomed to with his glasses. Then he realized, the metal frames weren't resting on his ears. And he was dry. The last thing he remembered was the street. And rain. The sky. The sky had been crying for Gaz and his Father. Just like he had been crying. So how did he suddenly become dry, and lose his glasses?   
  
Confused, Dib sat up, squinting around the room as if it would help improve his vision. A blanket slipped off of his chest and lay in folds on his lap as Dib looked around, still confused as to where he was. Unfortunately, Dib's eyesight was so bad that without his glasses that, apart from the couch he was resting on, most everything else was an odd blur of color. The most he could tell was that the couch he was laying on was pinkish, and the floor of the room had some kind of ugly checkerboard pattern of bright red and dirty orange.   
  
Dib blinked and finally noticed a shiny, reflective object standing in a doorway, where the color of the floor changed drastically from orange and red to purple and blue. The shiny object moved and yelled, "MASTEEEER!! THE BIG-HEADED KID WOKE UP!! Why is his head so big?"   
  
Even more confused, Dib looked around the room, as if asking for an answer. He finally got part of the mystery when a familiar voice rang through the house. "Be quiet, GIR, I'm trying to mend these… things!"   
  
A pang of uneasiness shot through Dib, he was in Zim's house. How he got there, he didn't know, but it wasn't good. A forlorn thought drifted through Dib's mind; would he be able to rejoin his family in the afterlife if he let Zim kill him?   
  
Dib sat up quickly, tossing his legs over the side of the couch. Making a move to get up, Dib was quickly restrained by a metal cord that seemed to have come out of a painting behind the couch, high up on the wall.   
  
Taking no notice of any of this happening, the metallic object Dib assumed was Zim's annoying little robot hummed and walked over in a carefree way to sit next to Dib on the couch. The TV was clicked on. Dib couldn't see anything happening other than a bunch of blobs of color moving on the screen. 

  
GIR set to watching TV, and Dib watched the colored blobs idly, thinking morbid thoughts and continuing to mourn his lost sister and father. It took all his effort not to let the tears come again.   
  
From what Dib assumed was the kitchen, he heard a couple of harsh words in a different language, said by a voice that was unmistakably Zim's. He turned his near blind eyes to the doorway GIR had entered from earlier, and saw a green colored thing walk out of the kitchen. The figure, which he assumed to be Zim, was holding something in his hands, and Dib got a sinking feeling, wondering if this would be the end of his life. Killed by his enemy after losing all that really mattered, while trapped.   
  
Even Dib couldn't gauge how surprised he was when all that happened was his vision snapped into focus, and the house set him back on the couch, under the un-contacted ruby gaze of Zim. It seemed Zim had been in possession of his glasses, and had been cleaning them.   
  
"What were you doing, stinkbeast, trying to get killed either by the germs or the cars?" Zim demanded, resting his gloved hands on his hips and glaring at Dib.   
  
Dib's mouth had dropped open by this time, and he immediately snapped his jaw shut. A fleeting look of helplessness covered the human's face, quickly replaced by a mock anger that Dib obviously couldn't put his heart into like before. "What I do is none of your business, Zim."   
  
Zim's eyes looked Dib over critically, but the shielded boy was too tormented by his inner thoughts to notice the loss of the usual fiery hatred that sparked the Irken's eyes before. Finally, the Irken asked, voice quieter than it was before, "Why won't you tell me why…?"   
  
Dib glared at Zim again, and stood up. By this time, GIR was actually paying attention to Zim and Dib instead of the TV. "Because it shouldn't be relevant to you how I choose to die, or if I chose to at all." Dib's voice went shaky at the word 'die,' and the mask of anger broke for a second. If only a second, Zim saw the haunted, pained expression flit across the boy's face. "Why would you even care, anyways…?" Dib hissed, turning his face to the side and attempting to quell the wave of emotions rushing through him. 

  
Zim resisted the urge to sigh, and turned his own head to the side, the other way. If the human was going to try and be difficult, well. He'd find a way through Dib's barriers somehow. "It's simple, Dib-monkey. I want to have the pleasure of killing you myself. You can leave now, the computer won't stop you." Zim turned, walking back towards the kitchen and the entrance to his lab.   
  
Dib had turned his back on the Irken, biting his lip and clenching his hands until his nails bit into his palms, but despite this, the stream of tears still made its way down his face. Coming to something of a decision in his mind, Dib turned towards Zim, not caring how his enemy saw him, and spread his arms. Adding the finishing touch, Dib spoke, voice a bit unstable, betraying that he didn't want any of this to be happening. "Then, kill me now."   
  
Zim stopped in his tracks and spun around, nearly falling with the speed he did so. The surprise was evident on the Irken's face. Even GIR seemed to understand what Dib was saying, and the implications of it, and the robot turned off the TV.   
  
There was a moment of silence, as Dib's tan eyes stared across the room into Zim's ruby-red eyes. Zim straightened his spine, making sure his body was completely in his own control, and then walked slowly over until only an amount of inches separated the Alien and the human.   
  
After a moment's pause, Zim reached out in an almost intimate gesture and wiped away one stream of Dib's tears. Retracting his gloved hand almost immediately, Zim looked straight into Dib's eyes and said clearly, "You're not dying today, Dib. Computer, restrain the Human."   
  
Metallic vines shot out from the walls of the house and wrapped around Dib before the human could make a move. Dib was lifted up off of the ground and, struggling, he was taken by the computer down one of the halls in Zim's house into a bedroom of sorts. Zim turned, walked back into the kitchen, and flushed himself down to the lab.   
  
The only figure left in the living room, GIR, finally deemed it the right time to watch the rest of his program. The TV snapped on, and the noises of an old monster movie echoed through the near-empty house.


	3. and now, to Zim

Very looong A/N: ahhh, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to churn out (even if it was…er… a few days…), I hit a dry spot (no inspiration), and then when I did finish this chapter, both editor and backup-editor dropped out, so I spent some time looking for another editor but nobody could do the job.   So, this chapter is probably laced with typos, or grammar mistakes, and I'm sorry about that too… if anyone would be kind enough to point out any mistakes they could see, I'd be happy to change them.  

I know, y'all are probably sick of me talking now, so I'll end the A/N right here.  With the disclaimer.  And then the fic.  Whoo!  ^_^d

Disclaimer:  I own not even the lint in my pockets.   So I don't own this.  

---

Dib sighed.   He had long since given up trying to escape the room he was trapped in.  Whenever he tried to, the computer sent out those metal vine things to stop him.  Earlier, Zim had ordered the computer to restrain him.   But Dib certainly hadn't expected to be detained into a bedroom.   Given, it was an ugly bedroom, covered in 'Zim hearts earth!' posters and nothing like an earthling's room at all, but hardly something one was supposed to be trapped in.

The Human was sitting on the bed that was the only piece of furniture in the room, and shivering slightly.  Dib pulled the ever-present black trench coat closer to himself and sneezed.  Now, Dib was sure he was sick, doomed and depressed.  What a…wonderful… mix, he thought sarcastically.  Dib sneezed again, and one of the computer's metal arms shot out of a wall, carrying a spray bottle of antibiotic germ killer.  The computer sprayed around the room, destroying any germs Dib managed to send across the room with his sneeze, and then retracted its arm back into the wall, amazingly enough staying silent the whole time.   

Almost reluctantly, Dib realized he was sleepy, despite having fallen asleep earlier (albeit in rain).  Glaring at the bed he sat on, Dib silently asked himself, what was the harm?  Pausing to glance around a bit uncomfortably, Dib scooted back onto the bed, and laid down.  The boy crossed his arms, then curled up in a ball, trying to take up as little space as possible.  It was only a matter of moments until Dib was asleep. 

---

Zim glared at his hands as he sat in front of a computer down in his lab with a huge screen that covered nearly all of the wall.  He wasn't quite sure why he was angry, but he was.  Zim didn't know what had possessed him to save the Dib-worm, but it felt right.  He didn't want the human to die.  

Maybe it was because Dib was the only intelligent being on the little ball of dirt Zim was supposed to conquer.  Maybe it was because he liked a challenge.  But Zim couldn't find a specific reason for getting Dib out of the rain.  He just did.  And all Zim could do while pondering the subject was let his mind jump from one extreme to the other. 

Penetrating Zim's thoughts, a beep echoed out from the computer.  The Irken looked up from trying to glare a hole in his hands to see the words, 'Transmission: Incoming' above a bar that was slowly filling up.  (A/N: I don't really know if this happens in the show, it's been forever so I'm making most of this up.  -_-0)

Zim's antennae pricked up.  "The Tallest!"  He squeaked: the Tallest had never bothered to contact him before; it was always him contacting them.   

In a few moments, the screen flickered and twisted, then cleared.  The two Tallest sat on a couch, watching their end of the screen before talking.  Zim blinked; the Tallest looked different from usual.  Purple looked tired, and Red looked almost the same way, except that Red had an odd fire in his eyes, something like hate. 

Zim paled slightly, never having seen the Tallest like that he had no other idea how to react.   Zim watched the two, much taller, Irkens, each figure waiting for the other to speak first.   Finally, Red broke the silence, but not by speaking to Zim.   "Tell him already!"

Purple winced slightly, closing his eyes.  Moving one hand, Purple rubbed his temple, breathily muttering something quietly.  Finally Purple opened his eyes, looking straight at Zim, and spoke.  "You're not coming back to Irk, Zim.  Ever."  

Red leaned back on the couch, looking at Purple sideways and asking, "Now, was that so hard?  Anyways."  Red looked back at Zim, whose jaw was hanging open in shock.  "You're a…problem-creating thing."  Purple rolled his eyes slightly at his companion's use of words, but Zim was too shocked to notice.  "And as of now, you're stuck on that dirt-ball." 

Zim blinked.  Once, twice.  Finally, the short Irken managed to breathe out a word.  "…What…?"  a choked laugh escaped from Zim's throat, quiet and unbelieving.  "Y-you must be joking, my Tallest, why would you leave an Invader like me—" 

Red cut Zim off.  "An Invader like you could destroy all of Irk."   Purple added in then, "In fact, you nearly did.  If we kept you around, you'd wreck everything."  

"The truth is, we hate you!"  Red continued in a standoffish tone.   By this time, Zim was pale and trembling all over, staring up at the Tallest like a beaten dog.  

Red's eyes were burning now with a deep hate that was directed at Zim.  Purple still looked tired, like he didn't want to be going through the situation at all.  Silence rung out for a while after Red's declaration.

Zim turned his gaze to the floor, mind blank.  Red's voice rung out, a mild disdainful tone evident in his voice.  "Now, leave us alone, before we turn off all the power in your base."  Uncaringly tossed in, Red continued.  "Your Vootrunner will self-destruct in a few minutes, by the way."

There was another silence, a bit longer this time.  Red asked, impatiently, as he gazed down cruelly at the shaking figure of Zim, "Well?  Do you understand us?"

Zim snapped his gaze up, and Red found himself on the receiving end of a glare that, if looks could kill, would have killed him many times over.  Pure fury blazed in the small Irken's eyes, only enhanced by their red color.  Lunging forward, Zim hit a button on the computer, and the screen flashed off into black. 

Closing his eyes tight, Zim choked an anguished, and angry, scream out, hands balled into fists as they slammed onto the keyboard below the computer.  Unleashing his anger, Zim clawed at anything within his reach, just wanting to tear it apart, to take his anger out on something, pretending everything he ripped through was some bodily part of one of the Tallest.  In a few moments, Zim had dented, ripped, slashed up and otherwise destroyed most everything he could get his hands on.   He even ripped through a power cord. 

The room was dark.  The computer's screen flashed, went completely black.  No light was in the room.  Then the computer automatically started up again.  A dull, small light flickered from the computer screen as white marks in the Irken language scuttled across the screen, the white contradicting the black and lighting up the slashed keyboard, the chair with a hole punched through it, and many wires that lay about uselessly.  

Zim's breathing was the only noise in the room, apart from a quiet electric whirring from the computer.  The Irken's red eyes reflected the light, glowing slightly because of it.  There was a shuffling noise and Zim moved backwards, to the darker part of the room.  

While no one was there to see it, Zim felt safe expressing himself in the way he next did: the Irken crawled back into the dark, hiding behind a stray piece of metal and curling into a tight ball.  Quiet, almost silent dry sobs echoed around the large room as Zim mourned the great loss he suffered that day. 

The loss of a home. 


	4. Get Out!

Hookay peoples!  Sorry this one took so long to churn out, but I've been quite a bit busy.   And my inspiration is yet again at a low.   On the bright side, boredom spawned a blog (blog = web log for all you newbies.  If there are any newbies.).  It's marked down as my homepage right now.   Go visit, please?  You don't have to leave comments.   But it'd be nice if you do.

Anyways.  I've been trying to incorporate two conflicting ideas into writing this fanfic.   Do the water idea, and do my own thing.   At the same time.  O.o it's hard.  

Another thing that happened to me (why am I writing this down here when I have a blog?  Nobody reads the author's notes anyways…), I've been checking out my reviewers, and a couple have said on their bio that they don't like yaoi.   Which has made me worry.   So that didn't help my creation any.    Ah, but one night, I got into a miniature fight with a friend, and got inspiration to write this.   So, yeah.   If there are any errors, please tell me.

Disclaimer:  I own lint now! Yaaay!  But nothing else.     

(BTW:  replies to reviewers at end of story) 

 ---

Dib was woken, jolted out of a dream, by a crash and the lights flickering.  The lights went out for a moment, pitching everything into darkness.  There was a scream from the living room, probably Zim's little robot, and a loud thunk, followed by a cry of "MAH CHICKEN!" before the lights went back on.  

Torn, Dib wondered if he should get up and see what happened, or if he should just stay where he was.  Sitting up and cautiously looking around the room, Dib set his feet on the floor as his more curious side got the better of him, as always.  Standing up and brushing out the wrinkles in his Trench coat, Dib took a hesitant step towards the door.   No mechanical arms, a good sign.  

A stray thought drifted across Dib's mind, why should he bother getting out?  but Dib silenced the thought quickly, reminding himself that the world was in danger and nothing would stop Zim from taking over if he wasn't there.  It wasn't a comforting thought, in fact it was hardly that, but it was a lifeline, something Dib could hold onto, giving him a reason to live.  

Not enjoying the emotions that built in turmoil inside him, Dib silenced them all, only thinking about a possible route for escape.  It was then Dib noticed the only real way out of the room was straight out the door, because Zim had forgotten in building the house, that most earthlings have windows in their rooms.  The realization made a small hint of annoyance rise, which Dib shortly shoved away, stowing it with the other emotions.  

And, having nothing else to do, Dib strode out the door.   Almost numbly, he noticed that the house didn't react.  No metal hands or wires.  Nothing.  The lights didn't even flicker.  Slamming the door behind him, Dib glanced around, trying to figure which way was the way out.  Dully, Dib decided that heading towards the noise of the TV, and the squealing of something, he wasn't sure what, would be a good idea.

Dib moved down the hall quickly, focusing on where he thought the sounds of the TV were coming from.  It was harder than he thought.  But, lucky for him, Zim's house was fairly simple.   So soon Dib had made it into the living room, which, almost Ironically, was only lived in by GIR.   Speaking of GIR, Dib noticed where the squeaking noise had come from.   GIR was rolling around on the floor, giggling manically and squeaking loudly.  

Dib stood watching for a while, watching GIR idly, not really thinking anything, before he noticed the complete lack of Zim's presence.  Automatically, Dib assumed Zim was thinking up a precious take-over-the-planet plan, and on auto-drive, Dib asked GIR without really thinking about his words, "Where's Zim?"

GIR stopped rolling around, and twisted into a sitting position, grinning hugely.  "You've got a biiiig head!"  

Blinking, confused, Dib tried again.  "Where's Zim?"

GIR stood up, without answering, and bounded over to Dib, before hugging the human so hard that Dib squeaked.  And the tiny robot asked, eyes getting kind of squinty, "Why's your head so biiiiig?  Can I climb it?"

Amazingly enough, Dib was able to squeak out a couple words that sounded like "Rib Cage…"

As soon as Dib said it, GIR dropped Dib to the floor and marched over to the TV, plopping down in front of it and switching the TV on.  GIR squealed in delight, something that Dib didn't really catch, about a monkey.   

Dib sighed deeply.   Now what was he going to do?  Trapped with a robot that wouldn't answer any of his questions, and found TV more important than the world.  Of course, it didn't surprise him much that one of Zim's pieces of alien technology didn't care about earth.   Dib sighed one more time, and figured he might as well ask again.  

"Hey, GIR, where's Zim?"  

"Mastaaah's down the toilet!"  GIR squealed, bringing his knees to his chest and looking proud of himself. 

"Thanks, GIR."  Dib thanked the little robot, before turning and walking into the kitchen.   He heard GIR scream something like "LOVE FROM THE PIGGIES!!" as he stepped into the horribly un-earthling kitchen.  Dib glanced at the toilet in the room, wondering what possessed Zim to put a toilet in the kitchen, before moving towards the said toilet and flushing himself down to the lab.  

Dib had plenty of time to wonder almost idly if he was going to get killed for going into the labs the front way as the elevator moved steadily downwards, below ground level, where no one could see it.  the elevator door opened.  Dib stepped out of the elevator, into Zim's labs.   He was met by a blanket of complete black. 

The Elevator's doors slammed shut.  Dib was left to himself in the huge blackness, no light whatsoever.   Why would Zim be in pitch blackness?  It confused Dib.  He took a couple steps forwards, and tripped over something, landing flat on his face.  Dib felt something snap, and sat up.  One half of his glasses fell to the floor, it seemed the bridge of his glasses had snapped.  

"Damnit…"  Dib muttered, feeling around for the other half of his glasses.  Just as the boy's hand grabbed onto the wire frames, a loud muffled boom echoed around, and Dib could almost feel the ground shake beneath him.   Dib glanced around, trying to see in the blackness, what had happened?  Nothing seemed familiar at all.  But then again, nothing seemed completely wrong.  

Dib stood up again, and promptly tripped over something else.   This something else was a good thing to trip over, it seemed; a spark ran up a cable, and a dim light flickered on overhead, casting everything in a pale glow.  Further into the labs, Dib saw a trail of lights flicker on lazily through the one eye that had a corrective lens over it.  He could see now.   Now to find Zim.

Dib stood up yet again, and this time he was successful.  Walking past things scattered on the floor, Dib continued into the recesses of the lab, searching for Zim.  He wouldn't admit it, even to himself, but he'd rather like to find Zim safe.  The Irken couldn't die yet.  

Stepping into a room, Dib gulped.   Another black room.   It wasn't completely black though, the computer that took up one wall lit up some of the room with pale irken writing that skittered across the screen.  In the dim light, Dib could see how much damage was done to the computer.  Things were dented, things were crushed, some things even had holes through them.   What had happened?

Dib paused, tensing up.   He strained his ears, all other thoughts and emotions left as he concentrated on the hunt.   Dib crept forward, stepping slowly as not to make any sound.  Light breathing echoed around the room, broken by swift intakes of breath and occasional crying sounds.  Dib's first thought was that it was Zim, but he dismissed the thought almost immediately.  Zim wouldn't cry.   Couldn't.   he was a cold-blooded alien bent on taking over the world.   

Stepping quietly forwards, Dib tripped again.  For the third time.  A yelp of pain that wasn't his own echoed out, and Dib hit something else on his fall, which fell over, clattering.  Dib heard a quiet gasp, and Zim's voice mutter in surprise, "Dib!" 

Dib sat up quickly.   Spinning, he came face to face with Zim, whose red eyes were wide and shining from the dim light of the computer.  "Zim?!" Dib gasped out almost silently.   

There was a moment of silence, and then Zim's eyes narrowed dangerously before he yelled and tackled Dib, punching the human's face and shattering the one lens still intact in Dib's good half of glasses.  Dib winced, shutting his eyes tight as a few of the glass shards stuck into his face, thankfully missing his eyes, but didn't make a noise.  Dib didn't seem to notice but now Zim was screaming obscenities in a language unknown to him.   

But Dib finally did notice when Zim punched him, a bit weaker this time, and when Zim switched to English.  "Stupid Dib-monkey!  Why did you have to come here?  Why?  Why couldn't you just stay out of my way?  They wouldn't have abandoned me if you weren't here!   Your stinking germ-infested race is inferior!  But why can't I defeat you?!  Why?!  Why damnit?!"  

"Zim?"  Dib questioned, confused now.   

The Irken hissed, closing his eyes tight and punched Dib in the jaw, harder this time.  "Shut up!  Just shut up!  Damn you!  Damn your stinking race!"  A small sob broke free from Zim, and Dib couldn't help staring.  "Damn you…" 

Zim couldn't concentrate on fighting now.   Dib could tell.   And this was just all too strange.   Too much to deal with.   His family was dead, nobody cared about him, and now Zim was having a breakdown for no obvious reason.  It didn't make any sense.   It was too confusing.   Gaz's and Professor Membrane's deaths were too fresh in his mind.  Dib's chest hurt suddenly.   He had to get out.   

Dib shoved Zim away and twisted until he was on one knee.   Standing up, Dib took off running, out of the room, only trying to get out.   Just to get out.   To get away from Zim.  From what he perceived was the source of all his problems.  It was too much.  Seeing Zim like that almost broke him.   The Irken never showed feelings.   Everything was messed up.   Everything was wrong.   He needed to _get away_.

Dib tripped, falling into the elevator.   The elevator automatically started it's trek upwards as Dib caught his breath.   Just as Dib got his breath back, he was forcibly expelled from the kitchen trashcan.  Stumbling, then tripping, Dib retrieved his stability and continued running.   But, when en route to outside, Dib tripped over GIR, who giggled madly.  Dib lifted himself up with his hands, breathing heavily.   A bit of blood dripped from his face.   Ah yes, the glass wounds.  He had forgotten them.  

One of Dib's hands clenched into a fist.   Now that he remembered the glass wounds, they hurt.  He could almost feel the glass in his face.  Weeding deeper into his skin.   Cutting.  It hurt.  Almost rivaling the non-physical pain in his chest.  

"Ooo, you's drip red stuff!  Master drips green stuff!  You're different!"  GIR noted merrily, standing up and then patting Dib on the shoulder.  Suddenly GIR turned away, then ran off, screaming, "I NEEEEEED TACOS!!" 

Dib stared at the floor.   Just stared at it.   His breathing slowed, his hand unclenched.   But it still hurt.  

The Human looked up as he heard footsteps, coming from the kitchen.   He couldn't see, his glasses were imbedded around his eye.   But he could make out the green figure as it walked from the kitchen.  The green figure stopped.   Black gloves crossed over a reddish shirt.   "Get out."  Dib heard Zim hiss.  

Dib stood up, wincing as he blinked.  The glass shards hurt.  Cupping a hand to his eye, Dib paused, looking at the blurry green figure of Zim.  Dib pulled his hand away, and a bit of blood stained his hand.  

"Get out!"  Zim shrieked, it didn't matter to him that Dib was hurt.  Zim was hurting inside already.  It didn't matter.  "Get out, you damned stink beast!"

Dib winced again.  He held a hand up to his eye and turned away from Zim.   He took a step towards the door and stopped for a second.  "Goodbye, Zim."  Dib said over his shoulder, a note of finality in his voice.  The Human then turned, walking out of Zim's house.   The door slammed shut, as if it decided it was the last time it would open again.   

Zim hissed, crossing his arms against himself.   "He saw… he saw… I'm a failure…"  Zim muttered to himself, turning and leaning against the inner wall of the Kitchen before sliding to the ground.   "I'm… alone."

---

okee-dokee.  Time to reply to reviewers.  Because I'm nice.  

DibMagician – You have reviewed more than once!  You… um… give me a second… shall get a virtual bag of cookies (of your choice) and get to be mentioned here!  Eheheheh… ^_^;;;

Bella12 – yes.  And now, back to Dibby.  And Zim, too.   And GIR's in this chapter too.  I'm proud!   Oh yes, you've also reviewed more than once.   bag of cookies for you. 

Shang Hai – you have begged.   I have given.   And, I like reviewing people's fics (although I'm lazy so half the time I don't)! 

johnnymaniac777 – Wow.   You didn't mindlessly flame my fic.  I (almost) love you now.   Even though I don't know why I'm replying to you, as you're not reading meh ficcie.  Ah well.  Thanks for assuring me of that quote!

And, I shall reply to other reviewers in the next chapter.   Now I must sleeeeeeep… =_=


	5. Can't be undone

Haloo again!  Quick update time, wheeee!  I don't really have much to say… other than the fact that I think nobody from ff.net has bothered with my blogsite… and the fact that I took a really stupid dare and now have to follow through with it… ah well, who cares?  I got another chapter done!  

Just warning y'all now, this chapter is merely for getting Dib back to his house… and inserting a couple characters I made that I might even make a comic for.  Guess who they be!

And now, Disclainer: I own nothing! Nothing, I say!  Exceeept for the two and/or three original characters I tossed in here who don't play a big part.   Other than that… I OWN NOTHING!!

---

It was raining again.  Had it been raining ever since he was last out here?  It was dark.   He didn't know what time it was, or what had happened after he had fallen asleep and woke up in Zim's house.  Dib didn't know what was going on in the world.  Was everyone in a panic, looking for him?  Or did anybody even care?  Did he have a place to stay, or would everybody abandon him?

The world was a harsh place.  An empty place.  Lives were lived rushing to perfection, then cut short.  People died and were forgotten.  It was an unforgiving existence.  Dib sighed, a lot of stuff didn't make sense right now.  He didn't have the answers for anything.  

Dib sighed softly, listening to the rain as it fell.  he walked on, down the sidewalk with no particular direction.  The cold air hurt his lungs, and the freezing rain numbed his skin, but again, he didn't feel it.  The cold simply didn't matter. 

He had been walking for a while.  Dib glanced around, not really seeing.   It was a bad part of town, graffiti-plastered alleyways and smashed-together buildings framed the road and sidewalks.  A couple females were leaning against a wall, squished together under an umbrella, talking.  Their bright, over-decorated garb was the only bright color in the grayish rain-slicked world Dib saw.  

Maybe he could just stay outside forever.  And maybe the sky would stay gray until he died.  Dib continued on his walk, not paying attention to anything but the sidewalk, which he stared at intently.  He was jolted out of his dark thoughts as he passed the females, one of which who called out to him.  

"Hey, kid!  You should get out of the rain!"  Funny, the female's  voice was low-pitched for a woman's.  The other female giggled and shoved the one who spoke playfully.  "Oh 'rok, don't worry about him! He's probably just walking home or something."  

"I can't help but worry, 'geddon.  Something about him makes me think…"  The first female spoke again.  Dib paused, glanced at both of the females, and gulped slightly.  He opened his mouth to respond, and paused.  They were only worried because they didn't know him.  Dib shut his mouth and hunched his shoulders, walking on.  

From behind him, Dib heard the first one who spoke say something else, he thought he heard something about a Burger place, but he continued walking on.  

After a while of cold brooding, Dib paused and sighed deeply.  He was still in a strange part of town, everything was pretty much the same as before.  The rain hadn't stopped, or even faltered, for a second.  Dib was soaking wet by now, all of his clothes clung to him and dripped onto the sidewalk.  He was slightly hungry, but yet again, it didn't matter much.   Nothing really mattered much.  

Glancing around, Dib spotted some kind of grimy-looking burger place.  He was slightly hungry, so why not.  Dib walked over and pressed his hand on the left glass door, easing it open and stepping Into the burger place.  He didn't wince as he received strange looks, but he knew he must look a mess.  Dib didn't care, though.  

He walked up to the counter, standing in line behind a red-headed kid that looked about thirteen in all black.  The Red-head was talking to the guy behind the counter, who had black spiky hair and piercing yellow eyes, and a red T-shirt that said simply, 'Don't start with me.'  

Dib was silent, and listened in to the two's conversation.  It took his mind off of other things.  

"The usual.   Hey, can I stay at your place tonight?"  the Red-head asked the guy behind the counter.

The black-haired guy punched something in on the register, and paused to speak with someone behind him before turning to the red-head and saying, "Again? Fine.  I have a job tonight though, Dante."

"Can I come along, or did Cassandra leave you with Reek and Leek?"  The Red-head, Dante, asked.  

The Black-haired guy snorted, a smirk pulling at his lips.  "You can come along." 

Dante smirked slightly in return, and moved down the counter to grab a greasy brown bag that held his order.  "Cool.  Thanks, Jake."  Dante then turned, and walked over to a booth.  

The Black-haired guy, Jake, muttered something that sounded like "No problem." Before glancing at Dib.  With a bored tone, Jake practically droned, "May I take your order?"

Dib ordered something, and picked up his order before slipping into a solitary booth.  After the first couple bites of his burger, Dib felt slightly sick.   He wrapped the food up and shoved it in the grease-spotted brown paper bag that it came in, before standing up and heading towards the door.  

Although having dried out some while inside the burger place, when Dib stepped outside, he was almost immediately soaked again.  Rain started to spot the brown paper bag in his grip as he walked back towards his house. 

After a while of walking, Dib reached his home, holding his brown burger bag under his trench coat out of habit, not out of love for the burger.  Opening the door and stepping in, Dib suddenly felt his throat tighten.  A wave of sadness rushed over him, and Dib shut the door before sinking to the floor and staring blankly across the empty living room, into the empty kitchen, listening to the horrible suppressing silence that filled the house.  

It really hit Dib, just what happened.  It couldn't be undone.  It wasn't a dream, it wasn't some twisted nightmare.  It couldn't be changed, nothing could bring them back.  He had nothing left.  The world was empty.  With that realization, Dib let loose a sob before completely breaking down.  He brought his knees to his chest and rested his forehead on his knees, then crossed his arms around his legs, curling up and letting the tears fall.   

Completely escaping his notice, a red light blinked on the message machine.  One message. 

---

Closing A/N:  and yes, that message be important.  You shall know why next chappie!  If I ever get to writing it…   *dodges thrown stuff* ah-hah-hah! Just kidding folks! *ends up getting pelted with a tomato* 

Anyways, man, I love you people!  So many reviews… … even if there is one posted four times, I'm so happy!  Snack foods all around!  

Now, for some (remember, I said some, if I don't respond to your review, hey, I still love reviews, and you still get a snack food of your choice!) review responses!

Damocles32 – that's high praise, and I'm a little disappointed you haven't reviewed again (me being the review hog I am).  But most definite thanks!

deranged black kitten of doom – More has been written! Where's my review?  *hopeful*

phishykiss – I would hand you a tissue, but you seem to have a whole box of Invader Zim ones… so, thankies for the review! Also… I have updated.  If you… er…couldn't tell.. -.-;;;

Shang Hai – Wow, my story?  Gave inspiration?  I feel all honored now.  … can't think of much else to say.   And here is more.   Although it's not exactly a good more.  It has no action.  Eheh.  ^^;;;   ah well, I'll try to write more, ks?  

DibMagician – Yep, cookies are good, huh?  *ahem* ah, yes.  Thank you for so many reviews!  It's just cool to have lots of reviewers, and man, does it make me happy! 

And now, to actually close up the fanfiction.   I know this chapter is kind of non-action-ey, but I promise to write more soon.  Reviews are fuel for the fire of inspiration, by the way, so, please review?  


	6. Still Dead

Meeebbe a slightly different style of writing this time, but here's the next chapter!  Apart from the first one, I think this chapter is the shortest.   It doesn't really go anywhere.  And I reaaally need plot ideas now people, unless I suddenly miraculously while eating sugar come up with an idea, so help…?  ^^d

I don't really have much else to say, other then I love all you reviewers, because apart from the satisfaction of being able to go to sleep without a plot bouncing around in my head, you make this story worth writing.   It's fun getting reviews, yes?  

But, enough dawdle! To the fic!

Disclaimer:  apart from the plot ideas that keep cropping up?  Nope, don't own anything.  

---

_Rii-ii-iing!!_

How annoying.  Stupid shrill stinkbeast devices, he was trying to escape. 

_Rii-ii-iing!!_

Ugh.  How long until it stopped?  Oblivion called.  Sweet, sweet oblivion named sleep.

_Rii-ii-iing!!_

Where was GIR?  The maniac robot usually picked up the phone for him.  Oh yes.  Tacos.  

_Rii-ii-iing!!_

Zim groaned, cracking open ruby eyes.  The sight of the inhuman kitchen greeted his bleary gaze.  The annoying ringing continued on from the living room, where the phone rested.   There was another ring and then a recorded message came on, one which Zim didn't bother to listen to.  Stumbling up, Zim tottered, then glared out into the living room.  Why couldn't the humans just leave him alone?  He wanted to escape this world, and dive back into the dream world.  

That was, at least, what he wanted to do before the voice of the person leaving the message on his phone echoed out around the living room.  

"Hey, Zim."  There was a dry, choke of a laugh before Dib's voice continued.  "I just got a call.  From CPS.  I'm going to an emergency foster home, and it's barely inside the skool district. "

Zim's eyes widened considerably, and he moved towards the phone, hitting the wall with his shoulder and stumbling.   The message continued on.  

"I'll still be in skool, don't worry, you can still torment me.  But I can't fight back."  There was the choking laugh again.  "You've won."   

"No!"  Zim hissed. 

"See you at skool."  There was a click, and another beep.  Dib's forlorn voice gone, his call unanswered.   Silence echoed through the house.  

Zim hissed through his teeth, closing his eyes again and sagging against the wall behind him.  They were taking Dib away.  Why? Zim wasn't sure, he hadn't left his house since the Tallest abandoned him.  The Tallest.  

Remembering them brought back memories.  Zim felt stupid now, stupid and alone.  Looking back it was obvious they didn't like him.  It was obvious nobody on Irk did.  An unexplainable pain dribbled into Zim's chest.  Why did they have to abandon him?  Why did they only say they hated him now?  Why did they bother even acting nice to him?  it wasn't fair.  It hurt badly, to be humiliated and left to die, on the third little dirtball from this solar system's sun.  Alone and lost.  Without a purpose.  They didn't even kill him, for god's sake.  

He was left alone in the universe, friendless and homeless.  Unless one counted GIR.   But GIR was everyone's friend.  Zim had no home, knew no one in the universe but enemies, he couldn't even get off of the damned planet called earth.  His existence was no longer of importance.  

Zim shifted his though pattern slightly, and focused on the Dib problem, unable to deal with the feeling of pain that always surged through his stomach as he thought of being unimportant.  It was a habit of his, he had to be important.   

But, Dib was leaving.  The only intelligent being, apart from himself of course, on the dirtball called earth.  Dib was going away, he wasn't going to fight back anymore.  What had happened, to cause such a huge fall in the human's spirit?  At the moment, Zim couldn't help but compare the similarities in the way Dib was acting to the way Zim felt now.  Broken.  Alone.  Like the whole universe didn't care.  a pang of hurt sifted through Zim's thoughts, but the Irken quickly shoved the emotion away, unable to deal. 

But what had broken Dib's spirit in the first place?!  Zim was confused, it didn't make sense to him.  He hadn't heard anything about Dib's family lately, Gaz had been just as deadly as usual at skool lately, nothing had changed, had it?  

Had it?  

Zim reached a decision.  It was a quick one, pretty easy, it would solve a few problems.  He would learn what happened to Dib, use it against the stinking human, and die in battle.  The universe didn't want him anyways.  So why should he care if Dib killed him?  It wouldn't even be a fully shameful death. 

And so it would be.  Zim quickly but wearily grabbed his disguise, securing the wig and contacts and steadying himself for another day with the worm-baby species on earth.  

And just as Zim stepped outside, he was run into.  A green blur had run into Zim, squishing the alien against the door.  The green blur paused and looked up at Zim with big fake eyes, revealing itself to be GIR in the doggie suit.  

"Hiiiii!" a high-pitched squeal emitted from GIR, causing Zim to wince slightly.  GIR suddenly hugged Zim very tight, making Zim make a strange noise as the air was squeezed forcefully from his body. 

"GIR –! I have – work – to – do!"  Zim squeaked.  GIR hugged Zim even tighter and said, a note of sadness in his voice, "Don't ever leave me 'lone, master!"  

Zim blinked, and would have looked strangely at the robot if GIR hadn't been squeezing his guts all to hell at the moment.  "What are you – oof! – speaking of, GIR?"

"Dun' ever leave me alone, like Dibby's family left him!"  GIR demanded, sadness still etched in the robot's tone.   

"What…?"

GIR pulled away from  Zim, and looked up at his master before holding up a large bundle of grayish paper that was the news paper.   Zim took the paper, looking a bit perplexed, before glancing at GIR again.  But GIR was nowhere to be seen.  The slamming of a door and a slight rush of air behind Zim said that GIR had went inside the house.  confused, Zim unfolded the paper, to be met with a bold headline that cleared up a few questions in Zim's mind. 

The headline read:** Prof. Membrane Dead!  World at loss! **

**---**


	7. dream

Ohkaaaaay peoples, I know it be kinda late, but my muse decided to die on me… so, it took a while.   And then I had a visitor for three weeks, so I was off frolicking with him.   And then inspiration slapped me like a trout to the face, so I wrote more.  Gah, inspiration's still here, must write more!  *wanders off*

**Disclaimer:** if I owned it, why would I be making fanfics of it?  (don't own)

**---**

Zim sat down on the couch softly, eyes glued to the front page as GIR raced around into the kitchen to eat some of his homemade 'soap.'  The Irken ran a hand through his wig, which came off with his hand.  Paying the wig almost no notice, Zim read the article on the death of Prof. Membrane, which was a surprisingly very long article on announcing the said professor's death. 

Professor Membrane, world-famous resident scientist and host of

_'Poking the Membrane of science', died today in a tragic car accident_

on main street.  Two other people were in the car with the professor,

one of which who survived, a boy by the name of Dip. 

Zim paused to be disgusted by the human author's horrible misspelling of Dib's name, then continued reading. 

Apparently, Professor Membrane was giving his two children, 

Gaz and Dip 

The irken was increasingly annoyed at the reporter's inability to spell the Dib-human's name right.  

A ride home from the lab, where the two children

Had been seen paying their father a visit.  The Professor [Cont. on page 2B]

The cut off sentence only furthered Zim's annoyance in humans.  Flipping through the news paper until he found the correct article, Zim kept reading. 

Had to take the two children back. His explanation was that

Something could explode at any time and kill his two children. 

Professor Membrane loaded the children into the company

Car and started driving back to his place of residence.

On main street, the whole front of Professor Membrane's 

Car was smashed in by a mobile home,

Whose owners also suffered causalities.  Both Professor

Membrane and his daughter Gaz were killed in the crash. 

The world mourns this loss. 

 So that was the problem with the Dib-human, Zim noted.  His family-unit was dead and gone, leaving him alone on the rock called earth.  There was a striking similarity between the Dib-human's position and his own, Zim was surprised to see.   But, the earth creature was **not **similar to him himself!  Zim assured himself.  Dib couldn't understand half of the problems Zim had! 

…or could he?

Zim quickly hit himself on the head, where had that thought come from?  Dib was an earthling it, incapable of understanding complex irken troubles.  

A part of him _wanted to talk to Dib, though, a part that thought the human could understand.  And for some reason, Zim didn't want to crush that doubtful side of himself into crumbs.  That cause for thought, Zim decided.  Dib's current situation forgot for a moment, Zim started to think on why he didn't want to crush the doubt.  _

Why he _wanted to talk to Dib. _

---

Dib sighed.  He was staring out the window of a moving car, rain leaving long trails on the outside of the window.  Outside, the world was a blur.  Streets, people, places, everything moved so fast.  

Dib had been surprised when he noticed what time it was.  3:54 in the afternoon, and nobody had wondered where he was.  That was depressing as well as the fact his immediate family was dead, and the fact that, according to the CPS people, his extended family didn't want him either.  So basically, nobody cared about him.  At all.  

Except for Zim…

The human boy suddenly sat up straight.  Where had that thought come from?  Zim?  Why would Zim, of all people on earth, care about him? Dib remembered waking up in Zim's house, but quickly pushed the thought away, reminding himself that Zim only saved him to kill.  

Giving the subject no more thought, Dib rested his forehead against the window of the car, feeling the cold soak in from outside.  Dib blinked a couple times, once normally, second drowsily, and then let his eyes close.  Soon, the human boy was asleep, shoved in the back of a CPS car.   

The driver glanced over his shoulder, mouth open as if he was going to ask Dib something.  But he noticed Dib was asleep, and smiled slightly, closing his mouth and turning his eyes back to the road.   The boy had had a tough day, let him sleep.

~*~

Foggy.  It was foggy.  Shapes were floating around in the fog, tall shapes with many different colored eyes, but the tallest shadows seemed to have no eyes.  He was scared, huddled in a corner, black trench coat covering his legs and much longer than it was in reality.  Horrible noises touched his ears, tortured screams and wordless cries that he knew were calling for help.  The tallest shadows in the fog, somehow he knew they were controlling all of it. 

Out of the fog, a long tendril shaped as a demented hand reached for him.  Nothing to fear, he decided, it was only fog.  How terrified he was when the fog grabbed him, lifting him high into the air as he screamed.   The hand squeezed, easily compressing his lungs and making him squeak.  It hurt.  Coughing, He felt a trickle of blood run from his mouth down his chin.  This wasn't how it was supposed to end! No!

**No!**

There was a ripple in the air, and he was pulled away from the hand easily, almost unhurt apart from the blood dripping from his mouth.  Dropped onto the ground unkindly, He looked up at his savior.  A girl with purple hair and a skull mask glanced down at him, and a small robot with a skull necklace waved from the far side of the girl.  

"Be Careful."  Was the only advice the girl offered, before the demented hand grabbed her like she was a rag doll and pulled her into the fog.  The little robot with the skull necklace screamed and ran into the fog, after the girl.  When the robot vanished, loneliness enveloped him and he was scared.  More scared than he felt before in his life, he was sure of that. 

Out of the fog, more of the creatures came, black figures with various colors of eyes stalked out of the fog, which was now a teeming mass of white deathly hands.  The two tall shadows towered over all, and He was sure they were looking down disdainfully at him, sneering, mocking.  

The army of black and white came closer, and fear enveloped him.  He knew he wouldn't get away, but he had to try.  Spinning and getting to his feet, he started to run, the other way, away from the army of darkness and death.  Running, running, he couldn't stop running.  

It was a while before he stopped.  When he did, he was in a forest, in the middle of trees too tall to be real, a landscape too perfect to be genuine.  Mist, reminding him of the fog, floated across the ground, masking where he stepped.  Lost, lonely and scared now, he walked onwards, afraid of any sound he heard.  He continued walking until he got to a stump with a log next to it.  Sitting down on the stump, he stared around the forest.  It wasn't right.  

It was only a few seconds before he saw the fog creeping through the trees.  Slithering, taller than the mist, the fog covered the land, made it hard to see.  The ghostly hands swept through the underbrush, and he had no choice but to run again.  Terrifying laughter echoed through the woods, followed by pained screaming.  It sounded similar to something he'd heard before, he was sure of it.  But it didn't matter then.  Run. 

He ran, that was for sure, ran until he was out of the trees.  He was met with a long ribbon of black pavement.  A car was zooming down the road, and he made the hitchhiker thumb.  The car slowed, and the door popped open.  He stepped inside, sat down, and clipped himself into the seatbelt, then suddenly noticed the car wasn't a car, it was a spaceship.  

He looked over to the driver, it was someone he knew… green skin and ruby eyes met his gaze.  "Hold on, human."  He was told, and he did.  The green skinned figure floored it, and they shot off down the black pavement.   Outside the windows of the car, he could see the fog and the army of darkness.   Everything was fine for a while, the ride was driven in silence.   

The ship continued zooming on, until suddenly, the ship collided with something.  Something tall.  Something black.  With no eyes.  The ship was scooped up, and both the figures screamed.  The ship was crushed and tossed back on the ground.   

He only realized he was safe when the ship hit the ground.  Arms were encircled around his body, and he was free from harm.  Glancing at his savior, he saw it was the green skinned figure.  A long piece of metal was sticking through the green figure's stomach, it was a surprise it didn't kebab him as well.   Worry surged through him, and he wrapped his arms around the other figure.  

"You're…not…dying… today…"  the other figure whispered, before…

~*~

Dib awoke with a jolt.   What was that?  A dream?  Whatever it was, Dib had woken with chills, although he was sweating.   Slowing his breathing down, Dib gradually nodded off again, back into the depths of sleep, thankfully with no dreams this time. 


	8. Maintenance

Yep. It's short. Very short. Er, very very short. I know it is, feel free to toss fish and other throwable objects at my head. It's just maintenance, though, what I was stuck on, so now that I've finished this up I'm overflowing with creativity n' stuff. Everything after this should probably be cake. Mmm, cake…er, anyways. Yes. The fic. Right. 

Disclaimer: for those with one brain cell in the audience; I don't own Invader Zim or any of its characters. To help you understand, I'll list off the differences between me and JV. First one: I'm female. He's male. Second; my initials are S.L. and his are J.V. three: he's got a trench coat. …wait, I have a trench coat too. Ah well, whatever, the conclusion is, I don't own IZ. 

---   
  
Dib was bored. It was worse than ever, the boredom. Often it hit him while he was in skool, but it was worse now. Depression made everything worse, really, dreaming, sleeping, living…

  
Today it wasn't raining. The sky was still a dark purplish gray, threatening with impending rainfall that never came. It was slightly interesting to Dib that it didn't rain; he hadn't sincerely cried since the last time it rained. Coincidence, he guessed. 

  
Mrs. Bitters' normal drone of 'doomed' went unaffected, only serving to annoy those with short tempers and to make the rest lose interest quickly. To Dib, it meant nothing. He stared out the window idly, insanely bored, almost. 

  
Zim was doing something completely different, himself. The same mix of depression VS boredom, but with something else, a thoughtfulness that had accompanied all of Zim's thoughts since he figured out he didn't entirely want to destroy The Dib anymore. Zim was writing something in an unpracticed hand, but not in English, in Irken. 

  
Finally, Mrs. Bitters finished up with her Doom-ing. Silence echoed in the classroom for about five seconds, and then the lunch bell rang. Jumping up, the majority of the class ran out of the classroom, trampling some other children in the process. 

Zim and Dib, on the other hand, waited for the flood of kids to abate before getting up and leaving the classroom, Zim grabbing the piece of paper he wrote all over and crumpling it up. 

  
All the humans and one Irken crowded into the dirty cafeteria with toxic food, each clique getting their food and sitting at the designated table, ignoring everybody else as they picked away at the food on the trays, talking about nothing of importance. 

  
Zim, who of course, didn't really belong to a clique, was left to find an empty table for the time he was allowed out of class. The Irken found one, sitting down and sliding his tray of disgusting cafeteria food into the table, to do absolutely nothing. 

  
Dib was silent, holding his tray of cafeteria food and walking, trying to find an empty seat, any seat, on automatic. Staring at a light in the ceiling idly, Dib was lost in memories, memories of how much he missed his family, before and after the death of his mother, even though after that time his family became almost nonexistent. Each family member leaving the other to their own ways of dealing with the grief when they actually needed to grow together instead of apart.   
  
Still idly staring at the ceiling light, Dib found an empty seat, sliding into it and pushing his tray away. He really didn't feel like eating. 

  
"I've heard that staring into a light isn't the best thing for your race's eyes, Dib-human." Dib heard Zim comment softly. Blinking, Dib shook himself back into reality. He was sitting next to Zim, he realized. Dib resisted the urge to jump up and go to a different table. 

  
Neither the human nor the alien looked at each other, instead they vouched to stare at the toxic substance that was called 'food' in the skool.   
  
"Why would you care, Zim?" Dib replied, the venom in his voice most definitely less potent than before. 

  
Zim was silent for a moment, thinking. "No reason." The alien shrugged, counterfeiting an indifferent tone of voice. 

  
There was a moment of silence, more companionable than tense, where both beings prodded at the so-called food. The chatter around them was just a backdrop, nothing was of real importance in cafeteria conversations anyways. 

  
"So." Dib broke the silence, poking something that looked vaguely like meats in gravy around part of his tray. "Why were you having a breakdown yesterday?"   
  
Zim immediately stiffened. He dropped the fork he had been poking the food with and retracted his hands, preferring to hide them under the table. The Irken looked like he'd rather be asked anything but that right now. 

  
Dib glanced at Zim, and sighed, deciding that he might as well change the subject. "Er. How's the mission, any new plans to obliterate humanity?"   
  
"There is no mission." 

  
"What?" Dib was confused now. No mission? What were all those fights in the past for, then? Nothing? And outlet for anger, a plot for Zim to get the planet and keep it for himself? What?   
  
Zim lowered his gaze, hanging his head. "There. Is. No. Mission. Can your inferior human ear thingies not hear correctly?" Zim tried to reply with vehemence, but failed grandly. 

  
A small flame of anger leapt up in Dib's chest, and he was thankful for the varied emotion. "Then what were all the attempts on my life for, huh?!"   
  
The Irken was silent for a moment. He took a breath before laughing with no mirth, a dry, almost choking laugh. "They were a mistake. On my part. Everything was a," Zim took another breath, obviously having a problem with applying the word to him, "a huge mistake." 

  
Dib narrowed his eyes, somewhere in the back of his mind, happy for the distraction, to be able to worry and think about a different issue. Zim was acting just plain wrong. "What happened?" It was more of a command for an answer, not as much a question.   
  
"I was abandoned. My existence is a joke. That's all." Zim grumbled, emotion making his voice crack, crossing his arms and glaring at the closest person to him other than Dib. 

  
Dib was now sorry he brought the subject up. He sighed, hanging his head as well and glaring at his food. The silence was resumed. This time it had a depressing tinge to it. 

  
Two creatures, both shunned by their own societies, sat in each other's company, not saying a word. And for once it felt okay to be morose for the two beings who had always been told the very feeling was wrong.   



	9. Against the World?

Hey look! I'm back again!  With another chapter! …okay, so It's short, but it has meaning.   Please don't bludgeon me with hard objects for the long long wait… I promise I'll write another chapter soon! 

Well, lookit this… my first update after my birthday… jeesh, that was soon.   My birthday was December first, just to tell you peoples.  And again, I'm sorry for not updating for so long, but I tried writing in NaNoWriMo… man, did I suck.  Ah well, anyways.   Fic.   Yes.  

Just wondering, has anybody tried out this new thing called the Flu?   It really helps you lose weight.  -_-0

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the trashcan I so love to fill with dirty snotrags and my flu germs.   Oh, and this spiffy necklace.   *ahem*  IZ is © Jhonen C. Vasquez. 

---

Dib stared at the ceiling of his temporary foster home, unable to sleep because of the nightmares and pondering over his meaningless existence.  Why was he still alive?  His reasons for living had been given a beating, being ripped away one by one, then torn to shreds and tossed into the void, the void he thought he belonged in now.   The void of death, really.  Dib wasn't sure why he thought of death as a void, but that was how he imagined it, a black void where time nor anything else had an affect.   Kind of like sleep without dreams, in a way. 

After Professor Membrane and Gaz passed from this world to the next, Dib had come close to deciding he would die, too.   After all, truly, he should have died too.  He had been in the same frigging car, but he hadn't been hurt, for some miraculous reason.  

But he hadn't wanted to be saved.   He hadn't wanted to be saved after seeing what he had.   He would have rather lied there, until he turned to dust or something like that.  He had once thought he loved life, but he was back in the real world, where everything sucked.   He thought that he'd be able to scavenge some will to live, and find a good way to live again, but it hadn't ended up like that.  

Dib had been brought back to the real world when he woke up in Zim's house.  In the real world, he wasn't wanted.   In the real world, nothing would **allow** him to survive, to scavenge a will to live.  The world wanted him dead.  Hell, offplanet people wanted him dead as well, Zim was enough to prove it.  

Zim.  _Zim.  He could have been a lifeline, something to keep Dib alive in some way, a purpose for Dib's life.  But Zim's life was a joke, or so he claimed.  Either way he didn't seem to be trying to take over Earth anymore.  There went Dib's lifeline.   He really had no reason to live anymore.  In some twisted way, Zim could have kept him alive.  But not anymore.  Zim…_

Dib felt on the verge of a realization, but was just too tired of anything to figure it out.  he sighed as the feeling crept away, not able to help but feel like he'd missed something important.  But, it didn't matter.  

He still got beat up at skool.  No sympathies there, the other skool kids were more than happy to continue beating him up.  In some twisted way, Dib didn't mind, even felt it was a punishment for still being alive, when he truly felt he should have been dead.   The only time that Dib had felt okay, really, was that time he and Zim sat together at lunch.   It was either earlier that day, or yesterday.   Dib wasn't sure, he didn't have a clock and couldn't tell if it was AM or PM.  

The only problem had been that, after skool, he'd been beaten up worse than usual.   It seemed the skool kids now thought he was gay, just from sitting with Zim.  That idea, jammed in the heads of the other skool kids, had opened up a new door to physical pain Dib hadn't felt before. 

He had come to his foster home with a nose that felt like it was broken (it hadn't been, but it felt like it), a bleeding lip and a rib that probably had been cracked.  His nose throbbed with phantom pain as he recalled fixing it earlier.   It had been bleeding so bad he thought he might end up inadvertently crying blood, just from the backup.  

The worst part had been when the emergency foster parents didn't notice how much he bled, only told him to go clean up "That little nose bleed."  Dib managed fine, but the lack of concern from anybody at this particular time was almost stabbing.  

Speaking of stabbing, Dib found he had a new interest in knives.  Painkillers, as well.  Something inside him asked, would it be wrong to help death along?  The world didn't want him to live, that much was obvious.   So why was he still there in the first place?   

Now that was a question.  Dib pondered it for a second, then came to a twisted conclusion.   The world, probably the universe, didn't want him, so the only other thing there was, was death.  And, he had power over that.  He could chose if he was going to live or die.  And life wasn't particularly inviting at the moment, and he doubted it would be in the future.  

Dib smiled to himself a bit grimly, touching the blood encrusted edge of his nose.  He grabbed at a bit of the scab, quickly pulling it off and starting a bit of bleeding back up.  If the world didn't want him, well, who was he to argue with the world? 

---


	10. The Note

Okay peoples, here's another chapter for your enjoyment.  Leave a review and maybe I can bring myself to write longer chapters. And all that jazz.  

Meh… for some reason I feel like I'm beating my head against a dead horse whenever I try to write.   Anything.   So, if anybody has a spare muse or something, I'd dedicate a chapter to you if you can manage to get me inspired for a whole other chapter.   Mm'yep…

Disclaimer:  If I owned it, I wouldn't be writing fics about it, would I?  Now read the story.   

Warning:  Probably loads of OOC-ness.  I hate myself for OOC-ness… -_-0

 ---

Zim couldn't sleep.  Something was nagging at the edges of his mind, begging, demanding to be heard.   As long as he didn't know what it was, he couldn't sleep.  It was about the Dib-human, that was all he knew.   Other than that, the nagging feeling at the back of his mind was unhelpful.  

Zim guessed that, in the end, it was something about feeling for Dib.   Feeling worry over the human, feeling sorry for the human.   Zim previously only felt this stuff for himself.   Why would he waste emotion on another being, after all?   Only ZIM was worthy of such feelings from himself, wasn't he? 

Needless to say, Zim was confused.   He was sitting in a chair, thoughtful and silently staring into space.  He felt some level of respect for Dib, sure, the human was the only intelligent life on earth, it seemed.  But that feeling seemed to be mixed with something else, now.   Was it concern?  Affection?  

Zim growled and almost slapped himself as the word 'affection' crossed his mind.   It was simply not possible for him to feel affection, especially not for Dib.   

But he was still a bit uncertain.   Which was enough to set the small Irken off.   he shouldn't be uncertain, Dib was a human, unworthy of such feelings as affection from an advanced specimen of a different (far more advanced) planet.  The pure notion of being uncertain of something as important as this was enough to drive Zim insane, or insaner than he already was.   

Zim was puzzled (and actually thankful, to some extent) by the distraction Dib caused.  Otherwise he would have had to think about his abandonment, and instead of becoming numb to the subject, he might have turned to a not-quite-healthy alternative, like Dib.  And Zim was becoming numb, or at least sensible enough to be angry instead of simply giving up.  The Empire may have abandoned him on earth, but Zim refused to bend or break for the Empire anymore.  Simply put, he would not give them the satisfaction of him dying.  

Zim was deep in thought when GIR, shrieking and in his doggie costume, came flying down from the ceiling and landed on Zim, making the little Irken scream in surprise.   GIR screamed happily in return, then hugged Zim.  "Yooou've got maail!"  GIR shrieked, trying to imitate the AOL 'you've got mail' thing from commercials.  

"GIR!" Zim hissed, angry his thoughts had been interrupted.   "What are you doing?! Get out!" 

GIR pouted, big cyan 'eyes' somehow filling with tears before getting distracted by what he had previously come to do.  GIR grinned happily, head compartment opening up and a robotic hand coming out of his head holding a letter.   GIR offered the letter from his head to Zim, then, when Zim took it, bounded off screaming about Squirrel-murdering Leprechauns.  

Zim completely ignored GIR's rambling screams, preferring to wonder about the envelope in his hand.   It wasn't glued shut, merely shoved closed, and it didn't seem to have a familiar scent, not even that of paper.   That was odd.   

Zim opened the envelope, taking out the note inside and skimming it over.   It was a note from Dib, but not just any note, Zim noticed with an unexpected jolt of concern, it was a suicide note.  

'Zim, 

I know you hate me and want me dead, so you should enjoy this immensely.  

I'm giving up completely.   Humanity is a mass of stupidity and nastiness.  Nobody will ever care about me, and I doubt they care now.  I had a family once, and if they were still here, maybe I wouldn't be going this far.  But, every reason I had for living is gone.  Including stopping you.  

When you read this, I'll be dead.  So, if you'll honor my last request, if you ever do decide to rule humanity, blow up the skool. 

Dib.'

Zim's eyes widened a bit, antennae falling flat back against his head.  Dib was … dead?  No, that couldn't be right, the Dib-human couldn't be dead.  He simply couldn't be.   Zim didn't know why, but he was consumed with a need to make sure Dib was okay.   The only creature from the planet that was intelligent, Zim couldn't let Dib die.   He didn't know why, but the thought of being alone, completely alone, the thought of losing Dib as well as his home planet, his life, his original existence, he couldn't stand it.  

Standing, Zim came to a conclusion.  There was a chance the note had been delivered early, wasn't there?  There had to be that chance.   So there was also a chance that Dib was still alive.  

There had to be a chance that Dib was still alive.   The only connection to his lost life, the one thing he could have a conversation with on this damned dirtball, the person who puzzled him, made him insane while keeping him sane… Dib **had to be okay.  **

---


	11. Pills

Oh lord, I have a feeling you're gonna kill me after this…_ all I have to say is, keep in mind that things aren't what they seem.   THIS IS NOT THE EEEEND!!

Warnings:  Bad Facts most likely, ooc-ness most likely, the usual…

Disclaimer:  I don't own it.  I'm not smart or cool enough to own it.  

---

It was drizzling, a light soft splatter of rain that dried almost as soon as it hit the ground.  The sky was clouded over, making the night so much darker, lit up only by softly glowing streetlamps that barely made a dent in the darkness.  The rain made a nice noise, a quiet pitter-patter that was only broken by distant rumbles of thunder, the kind one could only hear, but couldn't feel.  The city might've made a noise, but tonight, the streets were uninhabited.  It was like the impending feeling of something was keeping the city quiet, dramatic, waiting for whatever it was to happen.  

Gaz liked the rain, or had, at least.   It felt so long since she'd been there, like years had passed since she was alive, even if it had, in reality, only been two or so days.  Back when they had a mom, Dib, Gaz and their Mother had gone on a trip, probably to somewhere near the Grand Canyon, because he remembered giant looming walls of rock, taller than anything he'd seen before.    During their stay there had been a thunderstorm, bigger and scarier then he'd ever seen before.   

But Gaz hadn't been afraid.  In fact, if anything, she had been fascinated by the blowing winds, the thunder and lightning, the rain as it fell to the earth in big wet splatters.  The lightning had landed too close for Dib's own comfort, but Gaz had loved it, the flash of light followed by the loud crack of noise, and, if the bolt was close enough, a responding vibration in the earth.  

Dib sat under a streetlamp, remembering that time, when he still had a true life, not something devoted to paranormal study only, or to catching an alien, or to trying to live when there really was no point.  He was only slightly wet, the drizzling rain clinging to his hair and skin, and not evaporating.  Dib had yet to take the full bottle of painkillers in his hand, but somehow he didn't think the bottle of water he'd taken from the foster-home was going to be enough to swallow it all down.   

Staring blankly at the bottle in his hands, Dib thought about earlier.  He had been to Zim's to drop off his note; he didn't really know why he had written a note, but he had left it to the only person he thought would acknowledge him at all.  Why not, after all?  If anything, it would cheer the alien up.  Or, that's what Dib supposed.  

It was still dark, mostly because of the clouds that hung over the sky, even if it was in the AM sometime.  Dib had wandered the streets after delivering the note, not ready to take the pills, and not quite sure why he was waiting.  And as he walked, his thoughts spun round and round, tormenting him with things he didn't want to remember right then; memories of being beat up, being made fun of, losing his mother, most recently losing the rest of his family, the worst moments of his life.   He couldn't stop thinking about the worst times, and it only fueled his depression.   And yet he didn't take the pills.  

Dib could only guess what time it was, and his guess wasn't very good.  Maybe it was three in the morning, maybe five, he wasn't sure, he didn't know.   He wished that he could stop time, just then; left in the rainy, dead, and silent world, and he wouldn't have to deal with other people anymore.   But somewhere, in the back of his mind, Dib knew if he stopped time then, he'd only succeed in making himself go insane, subject to the twirl of unpleasant thoughts that clouded his mind, that he couldn't stop thinking about.  

Somewhere, probably a few blocks away, a car started, breaking the almost peaceful silence Dib had gotten used to.   Surprisingly, even the car seemed quieter as it zoomed down a road not that far away, also like it was waiting for something either miraculous or terribly horrible to happen.  

It didn't seem to really matter to Dib, he still stared, eyes glazed, at the bottle of painkillers in his hand.  Nobody would have known it, but Dib had decided on something as soon as he heard the car's engine.  

The lone boy set down the water bottle he had brought with him out of dislike for taking pills dry, and unscrewed the lid of the painkillers.  And he started taking them, three pills at a time with small gulps of water in between.  He didn't count the amount, he didn't calculate, he only knew he was taking a lethal dose.  

Dib felt woozy after taking so many pills so quickly, or maybe it was the drugs kicking in already, he didn't know.   All that Dib did understand as he decended to the pavement in a slow fall was that maybe, just maybe it would finally be over.   

The last thing he heard before his fall into semi-unconsciousness was that of the sound of an empty pill bottle on the pavement, and the gentle tapping of the drizzling rain.  


	12. Black and white

Good lord, it's been a long time, huh? I know, you all are going to hit me with bricks because I didn't update in so frickin' long. I don't even have a good excuse ready, I guess I just lost interest for a while, and real life caught up with me. I hope nobody feels the need to hunt me down and hold me at some kind of weapon point in order to make me work. … I really hope. Oo

In other news, I kinda want to get to a hundred reviews on this fanfiction. I can understand if nobody wants to help, but, reviews will make me guiltier for not writing until I start writing again! Look at it that way.

Onto the fic. Puhleaaze forgive any ooc-ness that might occur… 

Disclaimer: I don't own many things. Invader Zim is just one of the many things I don't own.

---

The waiting room in the hospital was empty, chairs tucked together in lines, all of them a bland gray color, and the fluorescent lights buzzed obnoxiously. He paced across the room, annoyed, angry, afraid, seeing the empty waiting room as a grim sign of a death that could happen any time. A death he wanted to prevent. Normally, Zim wouldn't want to prevent the death of his greatest enemy, but things had changed. So many things had changed.

Small burns, barely noticeable to anybody unless they looked very hard, covered most of Zim's green skin. After receiving the note, he didn't take much time to prepare for the drizzle outside. Dib took higher priority over that, which was odd, confusing to the Irken, but he pushed the issue out of his mind. Silently debating on it now wouldn't help anything. He continued pacing across the shining linoleum.

Zim stalked across the waiting room once more. He glanced up from the progress his black boots were making across the floor, and noticed the desk was empty. The receptionist wasn't there. He glared at the empty desk from behind his contacts, then turned and paced across the floor once again. The main objective was to keep the thoughts at bay, the thoughts that clawed at the corners of his mind. What would happen if Dib died, what would happen then, he would get destroyed if he went back to Irk and if he tried to find sanctuary anywhere else, he'd ultimately fail. Unless he, by chance, stumbled upon another planet like Earth, that didn't know of the Irken Empire. And that wouldn't happen any time soon.

Under the messy wig, Zim's antennae twitched. Down the hall, there were footsteps. Faint, but they were still there. He spun, watching the hall's entrance with suspicion, eyes narrowed. The footsteps were coming closer. The Irken simply scowled as he waited for the human down the corridor to make an appearance.

A moment later, the white-clothed receptionist walked into the waiting room, a thoughtful look on her face as she opened part of the desk and took her place behind it. Zim scowled to himself and went back to his pacing. And his thinking. Despite knowing inner debates on feelings, feelings of all things, wouldn't help anyone, he couldn't stop thinking. Thinking and questioning himself. It made no sense why he would have any feelings for the Dib-beast, apart from maybe mild disgust or mild respect. That's what he used to feel. But then again, that time, when he hated the Dib, it felt like a million years ago. Cliché, but true.

Zim continued to pace, eyes focused on his boots as they passed over the floor. The floor was white, his boots were black. Contrast. By walking across the white floor with his black boots, he was staining it, taking away from the pure as the black passed over it. But then, was the white truly as pure as it seemed to be?

Dib had seemed half-dead when Zim, bearing an umbrella and a crookedly buttoned rain coat, had found him. Dead, cold. Seeing Dib like that aroused another emotion deep in the pit of Zim's stomach, and he didn't know what it was. He didn't desire to know, really, it seemed deeper than anything he'd ever felt before, and submersing that deep into emotions was just something he never did, was good at doing, or intended to do.

Something interrupted Zim's musings, a thread of electric guitar music that weaved through the air, loud in the silence. It took him a moment to locate the source of the noise. It was coming from behind the receptionist's desk. Obnoxious human music. A low growl escaped from Zim's throat. He turned his back on the desk, the receptionist and the music, standing still for a moment and studying the floor. There was a scuff mark a little ways away from where he was standing.

He was silent for a moment, both in speech and in mind, a moment without any true conscious thought. A pointless thought weaved its way into his head; _the white isn't pure. _Then he shook his head, annoyed with himself for thinking of futile things that, of course, didn't matter. He paused once more, and another thought entered his mind, _Does__ anything matter?_

It was a good question.

The Irken had dropped the umbrella upon seeing Dib, he wondered idly if it was still there. He had picked up Dib, despite the light burning sting of the drizzling rain. The mechanical legs in his Pak came in handy for traversing long distances. At that point, Zim didn't know where a hospital was, and all he knew was that his own technology wouldn't work on a human because of anatomical differences. Luckily, a hospital had only been a few blocks away, and people were there.

He had entered, walked to the front desk, where the annoying music was coming from now, and demanded that they fix Dib.

The receptionist had called one of the nurses to check on Dib, and, after they finally decided it was life-threatening, they took Dib to deal with his overdose. Zim had been left with no notice of what to do in the waiting room. So, he had started pacing. And waiting. And thinking.

And that lead to what was going on now. Zim glanced up to the receptionist's desk, and saw she was now dialing a number on the phone behind the desk. The music was still playing. He tuned it in, listening to the lyrics for only a moment. The singer sang the chorus amidst the noise of the instruments that nearly blocked out everything else.

_'Yeah, here comes the water, _

_It comes to wash away the sins of you and I_

_This time, you'll see…_

_Like holy water_

_It only finds you faster than you've ever tried_

_This time, with me…'_

Zim frowned slightly. The lyrics made no sense, but then, it didn't matter. It was only human music. He blocked it out again.

His gaze back on his boots, Zim thought. How long had it been since he brought Dib in? Too long, it seemed like too long. Should he ask? He glanced over his shoulder, at the receptionist. She seemed to be trying to communicate something over the phone. The Irken watched as the receptionist finally finished the phone call and hung up. He turned and marched up to the desk.

"What happened to Dib Membrane?" Zim demanded, eyeing the receptionist. The receptionist was a disgusting model of a human, hair dyed a blonde so bright it looked like it could turn white any moment and sprayed with hairspray until it stayed unmovable, like a rock.

The receptionist flashed an overly-sweet smile at Zim, as if he was a child about to burst into a tantrum. "Don't worry, little boy, your friend will be fine! You got him here just in time! Now, shouldn't you be getting home? Your parents must be sooo worried!"

Zim only scowled at her in response.

That sickeningly sweet smile faltered a bit. "Don't you have parents, little boy?" The receptionist asked, although her voice was a slight bit strained now. Zim wasn't sure why, and he didn't particularly care.

"I want to know what will happen to the Dib." It wasn't a request, not on Zim's part, anyways.

"Oh, don't worry!" That sickening smile was back. "He'll be well taken care of, I just called his foster parents, and he'll be released when he's all better!"

There was a certain amount of jauntiness in the receptionist's voice, and Zim loathed every bit of it. He didn't bother asking how long it would be until Dib was 'all better,' or when he could see the human. The Irken just glared at the bothersome woman behind the desk. There was silence, the smile on the receptionist's face started to get forced.

Finally, the woman broke the silence. "Is there somebody you'd like me to call for you, little boy?"

An idea unfolded in Zim's brain, a way to pass the time until he could see Dib to make sure the human was truly recovering. He looked at the irritating receptionist, weighing his idea for a moment. After a thoughtful silence, he finally answered. "Yes." The Irken gave the receptionist the number she was to call, and she started to dial it.

A grim little smirk crossed Zim's face. He'd let the woman deal with a certain hyperactive robot on the other end of the line.


End file.
